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P4 Server Administration Documentation | 2025.2

# Windows installation example

If you already have an installation and now want a more recent recent version, see Upgrade the server.

To learn how to install and secure a Perforce P4 Server on Windows, watch this video or read the instructions following the video.

1. Log on to Windows with Administrator privileges to install the P4 Server.

2. If you are upgrading an already-existing installation of the P4 Server, ensure that your license is current before continuing and that you have a backup of your P4 Server installation. See Backup procedure.

3. Use the Windows services applet to stop the Perforce service.

4. Download from Download P4 Server.

5. Install the P4 Server using the downloaded installer binary.
   If you are upgrading an already-existing installation, do not make changes to the already-existing values.

   1. Choose the features to install - Server (P4D) and Command-Line Client (P4).

   2. Choose the default Port Number `1666` or specify another port number.
   3. Choose the default server location or specify a new location.

   4. When prompted for Client Configuration, type in Server field <machine name>:1666 where <machine name> is the name of your machine, the port number is the port number chosen in Step 5b, and type in the User Name field the username you want to use.

   You can also use the Windows services applet to start and stop the Perforce service.

6. Verify that the P4 Server is running by issuing in a command window p4 -p <machine name>:1666 info

## Connect to the server

You need a client application, such as P4V, to connect to the server.

1. Go to Download P4 Visual Client (P4V), download the installer, and run the installer, which allows you to start P4V.
2. Connect the client to the "remote" server as shown in the Connecting with P4V video.
3. Watch the videos on Setting up Workspaces in P4V and Basic Operations in P4V.

### If you see the error message about distributed version control

If you see the error message about "Helix Versioning Engine cannot be installed because setup has detected that this machine is already configured for distributed version control":

1. Locate the `p4d.exe` file in the DVCS folder.
2. Remove it or rename it.
3. Run the installer.

Additional information is in the Perforce Knowledge Base article, Error Installing Helix Server on Windows.

## Make sure you secure the server

See Secure the server.

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